“Yes, I saw her early this morning going down the path with her acorn basket,” said Granpa Tobackyworm as he blew a few rings of smoke in the air.  “Perhaps she has gone to the Katydid grocery store to buy something,” Granpa Tobackyworm added as he bounced up and down on his blade of grass.

So Thumbkins thanked Granpa Tobackyworm and went on down the tiny path.

“Hello, Thumbkins!” cried a cheery voice as Thumbkins ran under a bunch of flowers.  “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Thumbkins saw Billy Bumblebee sitting upon one of the flowers, swinging in the breeze.

“Mrs. Thumbkins has not been home all day!” said Thumbkins.  “And I can not find her anywhere!”

“HUMMMM!” replied Billy Bumblebee.  “Let me think!  HUMMMM!” This was his way of thinking very hard.

“Perhaps she has gone over to see Granpa Tobackyworm, Mr Thumbkins!”

“No!” replied Thumbkins, “I went there, and also over to the Katydid store, but she was not there!”

“Suppose you climb upon my back, Thumbkins, and let me help you find her!” said Billy Bumblebee, as he buzzed his wings, making the flower sway up and down.  So Thumbkins climbed up the flower stalk and took a seat upon Billy Bumblebee’s back.

“Let us fly way up in the air so that we may look down over all the country!” said Billy Bumblebee, as he made his wings whirr and climbed high in the air.

Billy Bumblebee and Thumbkins looked over the country carefully, but they could not see Mrs. Thumbkins anywhere.

Finally Billy’s sharp eyes discovered something shiny down by the side of the pond, so they flew down towards it.  It was a new tin can house.  The door was closed.

Thumbkins alighted from Billy Bumblebee’s back and knocked at the door.

TINKY-TINKY-TINK!

“Grump!  Grump!” said a deep voice from inside the tin can house.  Billy Bumblebee peeped through a chink in a window, and saw a hoppy-toad with his mouth full of pancakes.

So Thumbkins picked up a pebble and knocked louder.  TONKY-TONKY-tonk!

Old Man Hoppy-toad came to the door with a pancake in each hand and another large one in his mouth.  “Grump!  Grump!” he said.

“Where is Mrs. Thumbkins?” Billy Bumblebee demanded, as he buzzed around Old Man Hoppy-toad’s head.

“I don’t know!” said Old Man Hoppy-toad when he had swallowed the pancake.

“Yes, you do!” Thumbkins cried as he caught Old Man Hoppy-toad’s hand.  “Who made those pancakes for you?”

Billy Bumblebee buzzed closer to Old Man Hoppy-toad’s head and Old Man Hoppy-toad blinked his big round eyes and finally said, “She is locked up in the kitchen!”

[Illustration]

So Thumbkins ran to the kitchen and came out with Mrs. Thumbkins.  Old Man Hoppy-toad had locked her in the kitchen so she would have to bake lots and lots of pancakes for him.